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Phish Break Tradition at Oak Mountain as Summer Tour Winds to a Close

@PhishFTR

As Phish nears the end of its 2014 summer tour, the band took an opportunity last night at the penultimate show to break a few traditions established throughout this run. There would be no “Fuego,” as they had in every city before this and the band would dip into their repertoire of covers. The two-set show would also have an old school feel to it as only four songs came from Joy and Fuego, combined.

Opening with a trio of “AC/DC Bag,” “Poor Heart” and “Cities,” the first appearance of the Talking Heads tune since 10/25/13, the following “Kill Devil Falls” added a touch of new to the old school start. After a more subdued, brief “Reba” played by request, Phish delivered high-energy yet standard takes on “Possum” and “Sample in a Jar” before bringing back “Funky Bitch” for the first time since the band’s Jazz Fest appearance.

The end of the first set proved unconventional as “Maze” and “Ocelot” were followed by “Sparkle” and “Cavern.” While most thought that would be it for the first set, Phish broke into “Wingsuit,” the first song off of Fuego on the evening and the first set closer.

Set two would continue the old school theme Phish established in the first set. Opening with the third “Carini” > “Ghost” combination of the tour, the band dug into some worthwhile improv in the segment that in total stretched to around 20 minutes. The quartet then broke into an extended “Mike’s Groove” that would see the energy go up and down as “Simple” and the more delicate “Joy” followed “Mike’s Song.” The “Weekapaug” finale was a short, energetic take on the tune that eventually led into “Julius,” another high energy rocker.

The closing trio would once again find the energy of the show oscillating as a funky “Sand” featured a grungy, fuzzy tone from Anastasio throughout before giving way to the quieter McConnell-led tune, “Wading in the Velvet Sea.” Phish capped off the show with a “You Enjoy Myself” closer and encored with the tour debut of “Quinn the Eskimo” before departing the stage.

Next up for Phish is a show in Alpharetta, GA that will bring the summer tour to a close until the group’s Labor Day run at Dick’s Sporting Goods Park. The show will be webcast tonight on LivePhish.com beginning at 7:45 PM.